Tamping machine



s. MARCOT TE. .TAMHNG MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I7, I92!- Patented Oct. 10, 11922,

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S. MARCOTTE. TAMPING MACHINE, APPLICATION FILED SEPT, I7. I92].

Patented Oct. 140, 1922..

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SAMUEL Mancorrnfor HUBBZELL, MICHIGAN.

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Application filed September 17, 1921. Serial No. 5013445.

T all whom di /nay concern Be it known that I, SAMUEL Manoo'r'rri,citizen of the United States, residing at Hubbell, in the county ofHoughton and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Tamping Machines, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relatesto an improved concrete tamping machine, beingparticularly designed for use in tamping concrete blocks, and seeks toprovide ,a machine of simple and sturdy construction whereby the wetmaterial 'may be quickly and compactly tamped in a mold to form ahomogeneous and well knitted block.

A. further object of the invention is to provide a machine which will bepower operated and wherein the operation of the tampers employed may bereadily controlled.

And the invention has as a still further object to provide a machinewherein the mg transversely rendered inactive without tamper-s may bemotive power drlvmg the cutting off the machine.

Other and incidental objects will appear hereinafter. i

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a front elevation of my im proved tampingmachine,

Figure 2 is an edge elevation, parts heingbroken away and shown insection,

Figure 3 is a perspective view of one of the tamper lifting members ofthe device,

Figure l is a detail perspective view showing one of the tappetsemployed, Figure 5 is a fragmentary elevation showing one of the fingerholders ofthedevice, and I Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view onthe line 6 -6 of Figure 5, looking in the directionof the arrows. y y iIn carrying the invention into efiect,l emplo a' supportingframe comprsing spacer horizontal beams 10 to which are connected parallel uprights11 and extend between said uprights are vertically spaced cross bars 12bolted or otherwise secured to the uprights. Slidably supported by thecross bars 12 is a plurality of tampers. Each of these tampers includesa pair of spaced parallel rods 13 which are freely received through thebars 12 and mounted upon thelower ends of said rods is a plate orfoot14. Fixed-to the intermediate portions of the rods is a tappet 15provided at its inner end with a transversely disposed head 16 receivingthe rods there through, the tappet being held fixed upon the rods bysuitable set screws threaded through the head to engage the rods. Thetappet lies medially between the rods projecting forwardly therefrom andfreely surrounding the rods to rest against the head of the tappet is apair of cushioning springs 17. Threaded upon the rods at their upperends are nuts 1.8 and freely surrounding the rods to bear between thesenuts and the upper-most of the cross bars 12 is a second pair ofcushioning springs 19. Secured to the lower end portions of the uprights11 at their rear edges are aimed bearing braokets 20 and journaled uponthese brackets is a power shaft 21 to one end of which is fixed a collar22 coacting with one of the brackets while upon the opposite end of saidshaft is fixed a drive pulley 22 coacting withthe otherof the brackets.Any approved source of motive power may be employed for turningthepulley and rotating the'power shaft. Fixed upon the power shaft is aplurality of elevating members for the tempers, one for each tamper. Asshown in detail in Figure 3, each of these elevating members includes ahub 23 keyed or otherwise secured to the shaft and mounted upon the hubis a pair ofoppositely directed spring arms 24. At their inner ends,these arms are bowed to provide mating clamping members 25 encirclingthe hub and extending through the arms at opposite sides of the hub arebolts 26 rigidly securing the arms together as well as also binding thearms about the hub. JAt their outer end portions the arms are curvedlaterally in opposite directionsand at their outer terminals are notchedto accommodate rollers 27 carried by pins 28 extending through bearings29 at the outer terminals of the arms. As brought out in Figures 1 and2, the elevatingmembers are so arranged upon the power shaft that whensaid shaft is rotated thearms of said members will pass between the rods13 of the tampers to coact with the tappets 15, the rollers 27 beingprovided, of course, to engage the tappets.

Mounted upon the uprights 11 near their lower ends are alined bearingbrackets 30 secured against the forward edges of said uprights andjournaled upon said brackets i s-a shaft 31 having collars thereon tocoact with the brackets holding the shaft against longitudinal movement.Secured to one end of the shaft is a control lever 32 and fixed upon theshaft at longitudinally spaced points therealong are upstandingchanneled finger holders 33. Pivoted at their lower ends in said holdersare, as particularly shown in Figure 5, vertically disposed fingers 34:and secured to the outer side walls of said holders to coact at theirfree ends with said fingers are longitudinally curved finger springsyieldably holding the fingers to abut the opposite side walls of theholders; As will be observed. upon reference to Figure l, the fingers 34are each arranged opposite one of the rods of the tampers respectivelyand at their upper ends are adapted to coact with the heads 16 of thetappets 15.

In practical operation, the power shaft is rotated for turning theelevating members so that the rollers 27 upon the arms 24 of saidmembers will be swung to coact with the tappets 15 for successivelyelevating the tampers, it being observed in this connectionthat theelevating members are staggered with respect to each other upon thepower shaft. As the elevating members revolve, the tampers will, as willbe readily understood, be successively lifted each to the top of itsstroke and then released to drop by gravity for accomplishing thetamping operation, each of the tampers being thus elevated and releasedtwice for each revolution of the power shaft. The cushioning springs 17will, when the tampers are elevated, coact with the uppermost of thecross bars 12 for cushioning the tampers at the limit of their upwardthrow while the springs 19 will coact between the nuts 18 of the tampersand said bar for cushioning the tampers at the limit of their downwardthrow. In order to thus permit the operation of the tampers, the freeend of the control lever 32 is lifted for rocking the shaft 31 andswinging the fingers 34 outwardly so as to dispose the upper ends ofsaid fingers out of the path of travel of the heads 16 of the tappets.On the other hand, when it is desired to stop the tampers the .free endof the lever 32 isshifted downwardly for swinging the upper ends of thefingers inwardly so that as each of the tampers is elevation to thelimit of its upward movement the stop finger therefor will engagebeneath the head of the tappet of said tamper. Accordingly, the severalfingers will hold all of the tampers elevated, the springs 35 beingprovided so that after the upper ends of the fingers have been swunginwardly to coact with the tappets, the heads of the tappets may rideupwardly beneath said fingers swinging the fingers outwardly against thetension of said springs. Accordingly, when the tampers reach the upperlimit of their movement, the springs will serve to rock the fingers andsnap the upper ends thereof under the heads 16 of the tappets. Thereciprocating movement of the tampers may thus be readily controlledwithout stopping the power shaft.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new 1s:

1. A tamping machine including a reciprocating tamper, a tappet carriedthereby, a power shaft, and an elevating member carried by said shaftand having spring arms to selectively coact with the tappet for liftingthe tamper.

2. A tamping machine including a reciprocating tamper, a. tappet carriedthereby, means to coact with the tappet tor lifting the tamper, a rockshaft, a channel shaped finger holder fixed thereto, a finger pivotedwithin the channel of said holder and shiftable by the shaft to engagebeneath said tappet for holding the tamper elevated, and a spring fixedto one wall of said channel normally holding said finger to engage theopposite wall thereof whereby the tappet may ride upwardly beneath thefinger when said finger is swung to position for engagement with thetappet.

3. In a tamping machine, the e nnbination of a reciprocating tamper, androtatable resilient means for lifting and releasing the tamper.

4. In a tamping machine, the combination of a reciprocating tamper, a.power shaft, and a pair of oppositely directed oppositely curved springarms fixed to said shaft and operatively engageable with the tamperselectively for lifting the tamper.

5. In a tamping machine, the combination of a reciprocating tamper, apower shaft, a hub fixed to said shaft, oppositely directed spring armsprovided at their inner ends with bowed portions fitting the hub inmating relation, and means connecting the arms clamping the bowedportions thereof about the hub, the arms being operatively engageablewith the tamper selectively for lifting the tamper.

In testimony whereof I allix mv signature.

SAMUEL MARCOTTE. [1,. 5.

